B2-Intermediate+

The Future of Water (Step 3)

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Sciences Step 3 Stories February 18, 2020 5

ReadOasis Step 3 Rajan woke up to the sound of bird calls. He rubbed his eyes, and he heard his mother calling his name. “Rajan! Wake up! We need water for today.” Saying nothing, he got out of bed and got dressed. Then he walked outside, his dark brown... Read more

The iPhone

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 2 Stories Tech February 18, 2020 2

ReadOasis Step 2 Apple Computer has revolutionized tech. In 1984, Apple released the Macintosh. It was the first successful personal computer with a mouse and menus. In 2001, Apple released the iPod. With the first iPod, you could carry "1000 songs in your pocket." Today an iPod can hold... Read more

The Festival of Lights

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Culture Step 3A Listen!Protected Step 3 Stories Styles February 17, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 3 The sky is filled with fireworks. And the home is bright with the light of candles. Little children are dressed in colorful clothes. Their smiles are wide with the tastes of traditional sweets. And they dance to the beat of Indian music. This is the Festival... Read more

The Future on Your Wrist (Step 3)

B2-Intermediate+Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 3 Stories February 11, 2020 0

By Tek Smith ReadOasis Step 3 The world was waiting in anticipation. It had been three years since the death of Steve Jobs. Jobs was the head of Apple Computer. Under his leadership, Apple released many innovative products, including the iPod, the iPhone, iTunes, and the iPad. These products... Read more

Violent Games and Young Minds

Arts B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Sciences Step 3 Stories February 4, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 3 Millions of gamers were waiting for the day. On November 10, 2009, the game "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" was released. In the first 24 hours, about 4.7 million copies were sold. And the first day of revenue in the US and UK reached $310... Read more

The Singularity (Step 4)

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 4 Stories February 4, 2020 0

By Tek Smith ReadOasis Step 4 Ashley was born on March 7, 2027. It's her birthday today, and she is 18 years old. Her birthday present will be a new computer. Her budget is 1,000 dollars, and today (March 7, 2045), this money will buy her a very powerful... Read more

Evolution by Natural Selection

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Sciences Step 3 Stories February 2, 2020 0

ReadOasis Step 3 Evolution is a process of how living things change over time. Natural selection is the basic mechanism of evolution. It was introduced by Charles Darwin in 1859. He compared natural selection with artificial selection. In artificial selection, humans choose traits for breeding. For example, we can... Read more

The Artful Geisha (Step 3)

Arts B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Step 3 Stories Styles December 21, 2019 1

ReadOasis Step 3 Geisha are traditional female entertainers from Japan. They are skilled at various Japanese arts, such as classical music, dancing, and poetry. The word "geisha" comes from (GEI) meaning "art" and (SHA) meaning "person." Thus, in a literal sense, a geisha is an artist. In the modern... Read more

Captain Cousteau

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 3 Stories Times December 20, 2019 1

ReadOasis Step 3 Jacques Cousteau (June 11, 1910 - June 25, 1997) studied the sea and all forms of life in the water. He was a French naval officer, explorer, scientist, photographer, author, and film producer. "Captain Cousteau," as people called him, became widely known because of his many... Read more

A Giant of Business (Step 3)

B2-Intermediate+Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 3 Stories Times December 18, 2019 0

ReadOasis Step 3 Black liquid exploded out of the ground and towards the sky. It was oil—black gold—and it had the power to light up homes. It had the power to run the engine of the American economy. It had the power to make a man very rich. John... Read more

Change in 59 Seconds

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Sciences Step 2 Stories December 16, 2019 0

Change in 59 Seconds By Professor Richard Wiseman ReadOasis Step 2 59 Seconds is about the science of self-help. So one part of the book explodes commonly held myths. So for example, the idea that to motivate yourself, you have to visualize the perfect you. From a scientific... Read more

Children’s Driving School (1957)

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 2 Stories Styles December 9, 2019 0

By British Pathé ReadOasis Step 2 While we are on the subject of youngsters, let’s pay a visit to a driving school in Brixton, London, where the pupils are mostly children, and where the instructors, believe it or not, are children, too. Run by Mr.... Read more

Your Earth Day

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 2 Stories December 2, 2019 0

ReadOasis Step 2 The Colorado River is long. It flows through the Grand Canyon, and it stretches for 2,334 kilometers through 7 U.S. and 2 Mexican states. On its way to the ocean, it serves 30 million people. They depend on the water of the Colorado River for work... Read more

Newton’s Apple

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 2 Stories November 26, 2019 0

ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Creative Commons photo by Kevin Bedel A light wind blew through the garden and shook the trees. From one tree, an apple fell and hit the ground. Isaac heard the sound, and it disturbed his thoughts. At the time, he was walking in his... Read more

The Weight of a Nation (Step 3)

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 3 Stories November 24, 2019 1

ReadOasis Step 3 The sun had just set on Waikiki Beach. A cool breeze from the ocean ran through the palm trees. Friends had gathered together to hear music, Hawaiian style. One woman, in particular, was captured by the melody. Tears ran down her face as she listened to... Read more

Bred with a Purpose

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Listen!Protected Sciences Step 2 Stories November 22, 2019 2

ReadOasis Step 2 He is the star of books, movies, and TV shows. Maybe you know him from the film The Mask, with Jim Carrey. Perhaps you know him from the TV show Frasier, or maybe you saw him in the film My Dog Skip. He is full of... Read more

A Musical Money-Making Machine

B2-Intermediate+Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Courses Listen!Music Step 3A Protected Step 3 Stories November 20, 2019 0

ReadOasis Step 3 Carrie Underwood by Eva Rinaldi (Creative Commons) Carrie was a country girl from Checotah, Oklahoma. She lived on a farm, and in the mornings, she would help her father feed the cows. Carrie loved to sing. She started singing at church when she was 3 years... Read more

Spreading Deadly Ebola

B2-Intermediate+CEFR Levels Protected Sciences Step 3 Stories August 19, 2019 1

ReadOasis Step 3 Patrick Sawyer was in danger, but he didn’t know it. He was in Liberia and working for the government. During that time, he was caring for his sister. She was extremely sick and getting worse every day. On July 7, 2014, Patrick’s sister died. The cause... Read more

Speak Not Ill of Thine Competitors

B2-Intermediate+Biz BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 4 Stories August 18, 2019 1

By Tom Peters (Creative Commons) ReadOasis Step 4 Does this require more explanation than the Golden Rule (“Do unto others ... ”): Badmouthing competitors diminishes you. Period. “Win” with better product. “Win” with better relationships. “Win” when your industry is prospering and has a good reputation. (Think consultants, ad... Read more

Words that Remade a Country

B2-Intermediate+BNC Levels CEFR Levels Protected Step 4 Stories Times August 10, 2019

ReadOasis Step 4 Smoke, fire, and the booms of big guns. The pounding feet of horses. The flashes of silver swords in the sun. Loud shots in the air. The buzz of bullets in the wind. The cries of men at war. Rivers of blood. The white cracking sounds... Read more